Modular electrical connectors or plugs (such as an RJ45 ethernet plug or a common telephone plug) commonly comprise a small plastic box housing which presents at a forward end a plurality of electrode contacts, each such contact being housed and supported within an electrode contact slot. In a common embodiment of such modular plug, a plurality of insulated electrical conductors or cable bundle is fixedly attached within and extends rearwardly from the plug, the forward end of each conductor among such cable bundle being attached in electrical communication with one of the electrode contacts which are supported by the modular plug.
Modular plugs such as described above commonly include within their housings' interior spaces clamping means such as an edge of an interior ridge which may exert a compressive holding force against cable bundle and against a housing wall. Such holding force is typically applied within the plug's hollow interior, and at a point immediately rearwardly from the electrical conductors' electrode connections. An intended function of such interior cable bundle clamping means is strain relief. In the event that a rearward pulling force is applied to the cable bundle, such force is ideally directed only against the plug's ridge configured clamping means and housing rather than imposing tension or strain at the plug's electrode contacts. Accordingly, such interior clamping means are intended to protect against translation of excess pulling forces to the electrode contacts, and attempt to prevent breakages and interruptions of electrical communication at the electrode contacts. However, such plugs' interior cable bundle clamping means are typically weak and ineffective, commonly and undesirably allowing such rearward pulling force exerted against the cable bundle to be directly mechanically translated to the electrode contacts, breaking such contacts and ruining the plug.
The instant inventive assembly for relieving cable bundle connection strain solves or ameliorates the problems, defects, and deficiencies discussed above by mechanically associating with a modular plug and cable bundle assembly specially configured receptacle and sheath assembly which mechanically assures that such pulling rearward forces applied to the cable bundle translate to the modular plug housing and socket receiving the plug, rather than allowing electrical connection breaking translations of the pulling force to the cable bundle's electrode connections.